The study of magnetic reconnection in solar spicules

TL;DR

This paper investigates magnetic reconnection instability in solar spicules using numerical MHD simulations, focusing on resistive tearing instability and its growth in a stratified solar atmosphere.

Contribution

It presents a numerical analysis of resistive tearing instability in solar spicules within an MHD framework, considering both linear and non-ideal effects.

Findings

Resistivity increases lead to faster energy growth during reconnection.

Magnetic reconnection can occur within the lifetime of a typical solar spicule.

Linear analysis shows exponential energy growth due to tearing instability.

Abstract

This work is devoted to study the magnetic reconnection instability under solar spicule conditions. Numerical study of the resistive tearing instability in a current sheet is presented by considering the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) framework. To investigate the effect of this instability in a stratified atmosphere of solar spicules, we solve linear and non-ideal MHD equations in the x-z plane. In the linear analysis it is assumed that resistivity is only important within the current sheet, and the exponential growth of energies takes place faster as plasma resistivity increases. We are interested to see the occurrence of magnetic reconnection during the lifetime of a typical solar spicule.